Ultimate Magus in Cultivation World

Tian Lei walked casually through the rich district, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning everything without looking suspicious.

He wasn't in a rush.

He needed to pick someone who wouldn't be missed too quickly. Someone strong enough to survive the experiment… but arrogant enough that no one would question his disappearance right away.

He turned a corner.

And there they were.

Three young masters gathered outside a fancy tea house, each surrounded by guards. They were loud, bragging, waving money around, pushing servants aside.

Tian Lei slowed down.

The first one was a short, fat heir with a face round like a dumpling.

The second one looked like he tried too hard to be handsome, with his hair styled higher than his cultivation.

The third was tall, skinny, and had a permanent angry expression.

They were all arguing about who had the strongest beast bloodline.

Tian Lei shook his head.

"These three are useless," he muttered. "Too weak. They'd explode instantly."

He kept walking.

Then he spotted someone better.

Near a luxurious building, a teenager in red silk robes was yelling at a group of servants. He slapped one so hard the man fell to the ground bleeding.

People nearby pretended not to see.

Tian Lei raised an eyebrow.

"So that's the local tyrant, huh?"

He observed the boy calmly.

—His aura was strong for his age.

"Hmm, he's nearing his awakening… he's good enough."

Tian Lei smiled as he walked toward them.

On the other side, Su Chang was slapping his maid.

"You bitch! When I say spread your legs, you do that!" he shouted.

The maid hesitated, bowing as she sobbed. "I–I'm sorry, Young Master, but I'm married…"

"Hah! That's even better!" Su Chang sneered while his friends laughed.

One of them said, "Young Master, do leave us some soup after you're done with her!"

Their laughter echoed.

Their laughter suddenly stopped.

A sound—thud—hit the ground.Then another.

Both guards collapsed instantly, their eyes rolling back lifelessly.

"H-Huh?" one of the young masters stuttered, looking around in confusion.

Su Chang turned, annoyed."Who dares—"

But the words froze in his throat.

A hand was resting on his shoulder.

His entire body trembled.

The maid fainted from shock, collapsing beside the fallen guards.

Tian Lei stood behind Su Chang, smiling gently—too gently.

"Found you," Tian Lei whispered.

Before Su Chang could scream, Tian Lei snapped his fingers.

Crack.

The young master's vision went black as his consciousness was sealed. His body went limp, collapsing backward into Tian Lei's waiting arm.

"Perfect test subject acquired."

Without anyone noticing, Tian Lei vanished from the street—leaving only dead bodies, a terrified maid, and absolute silence in his wake.

Word spread fast.

By sunset, half the rich district had descended into chaos.

In a single day, eight heirs from top families had vanished without a trace.

No screams.

No witnesses.

No bodies.

Just silence—cold, unnatural silence.

Panic swallowed the city.

Patriarchs mobilized their private armies.

Clans accused each other.

Guards patrolled every alley, checking everyone with even a hint of killing intent.

But it was pointless.

Because the culprit…

was nowhere near the city anymore.

A Mountain Outside Crimson Rose City

Deep Caves — Tian Lei's Hidden Experiment Site**

Torchlight flickered across the walls of a spacious cavern—carefully carved by magic, laced with runes, and sealed with formations only Tian Lei understood.

At the very center…

Cages.

Rows and rows of them, arranged like a grim laboratory.

Inside each cage sat an "elite young master," stripped of their fancy robes, their artifacts sealed, their hands bound behind their backs.

Su Chang was among them—unconscious, drooling on himself.

The others were awake.

Barely.

Wide-eyed, trembling, sweating through their silk underclothes.

Some begged.Some cursed.Some tried to activate hidden talismans.

All failed.

All were staring at Tian Lei with the same expression—terror.

Tian Lei walked through the row of cages, hands behind his back, humming as he inspected each young master like cattle at a market.

He smiled.

"Excellent. Spirit-grade bloodlines… young, healthy, decent cultivation foundations. Far better than that trash in the rich district."

One young master slammed against the bars.

"Y-You demon! Do you know who we are?! Our families will—"

Tian Lei flicked a finger.

Pop.

The young man's nose shattered.

He collapsed in his cage, wheezing.

Tian Lei crouched beside him, voice calm.

"Your families won't find you. Because your families believe each other kidnapped you."

He patted the trembling youth on the head.

"I helped create a little… misunderstanding."

He stood again, golden element energy swirling around his fingertips.

"Now then—shall we begin the first round of tests?"

The young masters screamed.

Tian Lei smiled wider.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll keep you all alive. I need you intact for a while."

His eyes glowed gold.

"And besides… this is going to be fun."

The experiment dungeon roared to life as runes lit up and cages shook, signaling the start of his gruesome research.

The runes around the chamber brightened, humming softly as Tian Lei rolled up his sleeves.

"Alright," he said, tapping one cage with his knuckle. "Let's start with the basics."

The young master inside whimpered.

Tian Lei opened a small, reinforced box.

Inside it rested a glowing crimson sphere — a Spirit Beast Essence Core he had collected earlier.

"Essence transfusion," Tian Lei muttered. "If this works, I can force a bloodline awakening on anyone before their natural age."

He grabbed the trembling young master by the hair and dragged him out of the cage.

"No! No—! Please, Young Lord Tian, I—"

Tian Lei ignored him.

He pinned the boy to a stone table with golden bindings and placed the essence core over the boy's heart.

Golden runes lit up.

The core melted into liquid energy.

A thread of red light seeped into the boy's chest.

For a moment… it looked stable.

The boy arched his back, gasping, eyes glowing faintly.

"Oh?" Tian Lei raised a brow. "It's holding—"

Then—

BOOM.

The boy exploded like a rotten fruit thrown against a wall.

Blood splattered Tian Lei's robe and face.